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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Beethoven was a German composer whose nine symphonies and numerous piano and chamber compositions mark him as one of the outstanding composers of Western music. He was born on the 16th of December 1770 in Bonn. When he was three, his father, himself a member of the court choir, forced the child to take piano and violin lessons, and perhaps treated Ludwig harshly when he disobeyed. During the last year of the old century Beethoven had found himself occasionally bothered by a weakness in hearing. By 1801 he was facing the approach of total deafness. Miserable and embarrassed, he swore his friends to secrecy, avoided social gatherings, and plunged himself further into work. In 1826, Beethoven caught a chill while taking his nephew to join the army. It turned to pneumonia, and he died on March 26, 1827. Beethoven Sonatas op.2 No. 1 in F minor (composed 1793-95) This first set of his sonatas Beethoven dedicated to Haydn, the leading mu